The biggest step you’ll need to take to make sure your electric car will always be ready when you need it is to make sure the battery is charged. You also want to take steps to ensure your electric car battery will last for as long as possible. With the right care the batteries in electric vehicles could last for decades.

Should I Charge My Electric Car Battery Every Night & Other Care Tips

1. Avoid full charging of electric car battery. One reason that electric car batteries only last a couple of years is because they are being pushed to their maximum capacity. They are either getting fully charged and fully drained too frequently. Charging to maximum capacity might allow the most possible use of that one charge, but it’s one of the worst things for lithium batteries. Another advantage of not charging all the way up is that it leaves room to store energy from regenerative braking.
2. Avoid deep discharging of electric car battery. Lithium batteries do better with a partial cycle rather than a deep discharge. These batteries do not have a memory effect and there will be no harm with a partial discharge. This will also avoid an excessive wear. It also allows you to get where you need to go with range to spare. Just plan accordingly.
3. Consider “mountain-mode”. If your electric vehicle has the option, you can use it to improve battery life. If you know that your route includes long climbs up hill, switch to Mountain Mode so the car to switch over to gasoline power. The vehicle’s battery management system knows when to stop drawing from the battery to avoid deep cycling. Do this at least 20 minutes before a climb.
4. Plan ahead for a period of extended storage. If your electric vehicle has “storage mode” you can use it to care for the battery when you need to store it for an extended period of time. If you don’t use this option, you will have to wait a month before you can drive your car. After you store the vehicle charge it to 60%. The battery will slowly self-discharge. When it gets to below 20%, charge the vehicle back up to 60%.
5. Minimize DC fast charging. Maximize battery life by avoiding fast charging. These quick chargers can dump 80 miles into a battery pack in as little as 30 minutes and while this is convenient, it will cost you 1 percent of capacity per year. This may not seem like a lot, but fast charging still takes a toll that can be avoided.
6. Electric cars in hot weather; park in the shade. Most electric cars have thermal management. This is great for keeping your batteries comfortable but comes at a price. On hot days, your car will run if you’re parked on hot asphalt. This will drain the battery as it keeps the battery cool. Park in the shade on a hot day so it will only run for a few minutes and then shutdown until you restart the vehicle.

Electric Car Charging Station Installation in Pompano Beach, Oakland Park, Plantation, Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton, Davie, Fort Lauderdale & South Florida

Contact Burley Electrical Services for more ways to extend the battery life of your electric car. We can install an EV charging station in your home. Contact us to learn more today!